Sports and Outdoor activities in Taiwan
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- 12 Oct 2022
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One look at a relief map of Taiwan shows you its huge adventure sports potential; bisected by northeast Asia’s highest mountains and with the rushing rivers and sheer cliffs of the east coast, this hidden paradise of outdoor pursuits is starting to attract more adventurous travellers from Asia and the rest of the world. As well as a haven for trekkers and mountaineers, the island also offers excellent conditions for a range of activities, from mountain biking and kayaking to paragliding and surfing, with many grassroots operators springing up to meet the needs of travellers.
Hiking and trekking
Contrary to the widely held assumption that Taiwan is one giant industrial wasteland, most of the island is, in fact, rugged wilderness that offers some of Asia’s most amazing hiking and trekking possibilities. With an extensive network of national parks, scenic areas and forest reserves – all of which are laced with trails – the hardest part for most hikers is deciding where to start. There are also eighteen forest recreation areas in Taiwan, and while the trails in some of them have suffered extensive typhoon damage, others boast well-marked paths, some of which have English signage.
A monumental effort is under way to link up many of Taiwan’s major trails into an island-wide, north-to-south interlocking network known as the National Trail System – which could someday make it possible for hikers to traverse the entire length of Taiwan. However, the series of typhoons that strikes the island each summer inevitably wipes out various sections of trail, often taking years to rebuild, so the prospect of a completely unified network is perhaps an overly optimistic undertaking.
Mountain climbing
With 258 mountains over 3000m and the highest peaks in northeast Asia (excluding some of the volcanoes on northeastern Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula), you’d think Taiwan would be a mountaineering hotspot, but most of its stunning peaks are only tackled by a few climbers each year. Many of the trails are cut straight into the mountainsides and are thus extremely prone to dangerous landslips – especially during spring and summer rain – but apart from this most of the main routes up major peaks pose few technical challenges. Despite this, mountain permits are required for almost all of them.
By far the most famous peak is Yushan (Jade Mountain), which at 3952m is northeast Asia’s highest. Ironically, it’s one of the most accessible, thanks to a well-built, scrupulously maintained trail and one of Taiwan’s most often-used mountain shelters. In good weather, reasonably fit climbers can ascend Yushan and its surrounding peaks without much difficulty.
Taiwan’s second-highest peak, the 3886m Xueshan (Snow Mountain), makes for a beautiful climb that often yields awe-inspiring vistas of the mountains of Shei-Pa National Park and nearby Taroko National Park. During winter, Xueshan and the surrounding mountains that make up the so-called Holy Ridge live up to its name, often remaining covered in snow for months. The main trail to the summit is usually in excellent nick, and though the climb is steeper than that for Yushan, there are two mountain shelters that can help break up the journey.
The favourite of almost every serious Taiwanese climber is Nanhushan, also known as “Nanhu Dashan”. Tucked away in the far northwest corner of Taroko National Park, this gorgeous 3742m peak has been climbed by precious few foreigners.
Mountain biking
Given its hilly terrain and extensive trail network, Taiwan has some of the world’s top mountain biking, rivalling the best of North America and southern Europe. Heart-stopping downhill courses, technical rock gardens, jumps, berms and super-fast single track: the island has it all, and much is easily accessible from cities such as Taipei and Taichung. If you’re an avid trail rider and plan to visit Taiwan for any length of time, it’s worth bringing your bike with you (rental bikes tend not to be suitable for mountain biking). Read More…
